TORONTO— Visual artist and author Christi Belcourt of Espanola is the 2014 recipient of the Ontario Arts Council Aboriginal Arts Award. Created in 2012, the Aboriginal Arts Award celebrates the work of aboriginal artists and arts leaders who have made significant contributions to the arts in Ontario.
Ms. Belcourt may be most familiar to residents of Manitoulin as the artist leading ‘Walking With Our Sisters’ (WWOS), a community-driven project that honours murdered or missing Indigenous women. Her initiative was previously reported in The Expositor when the project visited Whitefish River First Nation last year. Touring to 32 locations across North America through to the year 2020, the exhibit/memorial includes over 1,700 pairs of moccasin tops (vamps)—intentionally not sewn into complete moccasins—that were created by over 1,300 people of all ages and cultural backgrounds from around the globe.
Ms. Belcourt was asked for her reaction to being recognized by the award. “I was shocked and very humbled,” she said. “But I also generally feel awkward about it. I feel like there is so much more work to do and there is an urgency to the things that need to be taken care of and looked at—such as murdered and missing Indigenous women and men.”
“Aboriginal children in foster care is a growing crisis, as is the lack of fresh drinking water and also the push towards pipelines and fracking which will have devastating effects for future generations,” she added. “So there is a lot to be done. So while I sincerely appreciate my peers thinking I am worthy of recognition, future generations are depending on us. We can see where we are headed and things need to turn around.
Ms. Belcourt already has plans for what she will do with the $10,000 in prize money associated with the award. “I will use the money to continue my work with Walking With Our Sisters,” she said. “Everyone who works on WWOS is volunteering and no one is getting paid, so it will be nice to know I can continue to focus on this. That is what the award is allowing me to do. I’m extremely appreciative about it. As many people know, working full time as an artist is really living sale-to-sale. With no steady paycheque, everything we make usually goes straight to bills and debt.”
Like many artists, Ms. Belcourt currently is working on her ‘day job’ as a professional working artist. “In addition to WWOS, I’m working on catching up with paintings. I have some ideas for other projects but honestly, I have to stop myself from going there, unless I can figure out a way to clone myself,” she laughs.
“I spend the majority of my time at home in Espanola,” she said, “but I am travelling more and more with WWOS.”
Walking With Our Sisters is scheduled to come to Manitoulin Island to the Debajehmujig Storytellers Creation Centre in Manitowaning in November of 2016.
The OAC award will be presented on Wednesday, July 30 at 6:30 pm at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The event will include the unveiling of a new work commissioned from Ms. Belcourt by the AGO. The public is welcome to attend the event during which admission to the AGO will be free.
[pullquote]“I spend the majority of my time at home in Espanola,” she said, “but I am travelling more and more with WWOS.”[/pullquote]
Ms. Belcourt is a Métis artist based in Espanola. Her work explores a variety of issues, including concerns for the environment, biodiversity, spirituality and Indigenous rights. Her work can be found in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Canada, the Gabriel Dumont Institute, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, among other leading institutions.
Ms. Belcourt’s work commemorating residential school survivors and communities ‘Giniigaaniimenaaning (Looking Ahead)’ was rendered in stained glass and installed at Centre Block on Parliament Hill. It is only the second stained glass work to be commissioned for the Parliament buildings in recent years.
“Christi’s deep respect for the world around us is exemplified by the synergies between her art and her community work,” said Peter Caldwell, director and CEO of the Ontario Arts Council in a press release. “We are proud that this year’s Aboriginal Arts Award celebrates her accomplishments.”
“Now is an important time to honour Christi, her leadership and the gravitas of her work,” noted the statement from the jury who selected Ms. Belcourt for the award. “Her art and activism cannot be separated. She is an inspiring and vital voice in the community—a humble spirit and a force of nature.”
